Vent and air inlet assembly



April 25, 1967 M. w. MARRAPESE ETAL 3,315,586

VENT AND AIR INLET ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed June 5, 1965 April 25, 1967 Filed June 3, 1965 FIGA M. W. MARRAPESE ETAL VENT AND AIR INLET ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,315,586 VENT AND AIR INLET ASSEMBLY Marius W. Marrapese, Bedford, Ohio, and Edgar W.

Wirth, New Athens, Ill., assignors to Autocrat Corporation, New Athens, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed June 3, 1965, Ser. No. 460,928 4 Claims. (Cl. 98-62) This invention relates to a vent and air inlet assembly and, more particularly, to a vent and air inlet assembly for furnaces.

The vent and air inlet assembly of the invention has particular utility when used with furnaces having a sealed combustion chamber in which primary air for combustion is obtained from outside the spacerbeing heated. These furnaces may draw primary air through an inlet passa-ge which is carried through the same wall or ceiling aperture through which the ue passes to vent the products of combustion. For maximum safety and combustion eliiciency the incoming primary air should be substantially entirely free of the exhausted combustion products. The tlow of primary air should be principally governed by combustion chamber requirements and should be substantially free of gusts or surges -of air resulting from climatic conditions prevailing at the primary air inlet. Water from rain, snow, etc., should Ibe excluded from the furnace air inlet and exhaust since it could damage the furnace and possibly extinguish the furnace burner. Particular diiculty has been experienced in producing roof mounted vent and air inlet assemblies for mobile homes and travel trailers containing furnaces with sealed combustion chambers due to the long distance the primary air must be drawn into the combustion chamber and the fact that it is drawn Counterflow, i.e., opposite to the direction it tends to flow due t heating of the primary air.

Among the several objects fo the invention may be noted the provision of a furnace vent and air inlet assembly in which passage of gases through the assembly is substantially immune to fluctuations in climatic conditions; the provision of ya vent and air inlet assembly particularly adapted for use with a furnace having a sealed combustion chamber wherein the assembly prevents entrance of rain into the furnace even when the assembly is roof-mounted on the structure containing the furnace; the provision of a furnace vent and air inlet assembly wherein primary air entering the assembly is substantially free of exhaust gases discharged through the assembly; and the provision of a roof mounted vent and air inlet assembly for furnaces with a sealed combustion chamber wherein the assembly is capable of shielding the air inlet and exhaust outlet from the effects of wind and water without unduly impairing the rrequired flow of air into the furnace and the exhaust of gases from the furnace. Other objects yand features will be in part apparent and in part pointed out hereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafter described, the scope of the invention being indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possible embodiments of the invention is illustrated,

FIG. l is a section through a vent and air inlet assembly of this invention taken lon line 1-1 of FIG. 2, the assembly being shown in connection with a furnace hav.- ng a sealed combustion chamber;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan of the FIG. l vent and air inlet assembly;

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the FIG. 2 assembly; and

FIG. 4 is-an exploded view of the assembly.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

ICC

Referring to the drawings, a vent and air inlet assembly 1 of the invention is shown in FIG. 1 mounted on the roof 3 of a structure containing a furnace generally designated 5. 'Ihe furnace shown is of the sealed combustion chamber type in which primary air for combustion is drawn from outside the structure being heated. Furnace 5 has a combustion chamber 7 in which fuel is burned. The resulting products of combustion are exhausted through a vent or flue 9 communicating with the upper end of combustion chamber 7 and a flue 11 of the vent and air inlet assembly 1. Primary air for combustion is drawn through a passage 13 in assembly 1, travels between the sides 15 or back 17 of the furnace housing and an inner furnace wall 19, and then enters air inlets 21 in the lower part of the sides of .the combustion chamber. The structure containing furnace 5 is heated by air from within the structure passing between inner furnace wall 19 and the front furnace wall 23 in heat exchange relation with combustion chamber 7. The upper and lower portions of front wall 23 have openings 25 and 27, respectively, through which interior air may enter and leave the furnace. The air to be heated may enter openings 27 and leave openings 25 due to convection currents resulting from heating within the furnace, or the air being heated may be circulated in the reverse direction by means of a furnace blower fan (not shown).

Surrounding and concentric with ue v11 is a collar 29 which receives a duct 31 (fFIG. 1) communicating between assembly 1 and the air inlet to furnace 5. Primary air passage 13 is formed by flues 9 and 11, collar 29 and duct 31. The outer end of collar 29 constitutes the inlet end of the annular passage 13 `and it communicates with the atmosphere through assembly 1. A stop 33 projects inwardly from the outer end of collar 29 to prevent projection of duct 31 above the outer end of collar 29.

An air passage cover 35 has a generally flat inner portion 37 sealin-gly engaging the periphery of an intermediate portion of flue 11. Portion 37 of cover 35 projects radially outwardly from flue v11 and an axially extending annular rim portion 39 of cover 35 depends from the periphery of center portion 37 and projects toward roof 3. Rim portion 39 of cover 35 is substantially coaxial with flue 1:1 and collar 29 and is positioned radially outwardly from collar 29.

Projecting radially outwardly from the inner end of collar 29 is a ange 41 for mounting assembly .1 on roof 3. Cover 35 is supported above flange 41 by generally Z-shaped brackets 43, ends 45 and 47 of the brackets being attached to flange 41 and cover 35, respectively.

A tubular deector 49 is attached to an intermediate portion of brackets 43 and is spaced from both the inner portion 37 and rim 39 of cover 35 and from the mounting ange 41. Deflector 49 surrounds the outer end of collar 29 (thus surrounding the inlet to air passage 13) and it is positioned between the lower margin of rim portion 39 yof cover 35 and the inlet end of air passage 13. Deector 49 thus has an intermediate portion substantially in radial alignment with the inlet of air passage 13 so that atmospheric `air traverses a tortuous path around the detlector between it and cover 35 or flange 41 before it enters the air passage.

Deector 49 has an annular series of spaced ports 50 axially located beneath the -lower edge of cover 35 and substantially in radial alignment with the outer end of collar 29. Located between the collar 29 and deector 49 is a tubular deflector 51. Deilector 51 is spaced axially from mounting ange 41 and the annular center portion 37 of cover 35. Deflection 5'1 is supported above mounting flange 41 by angle brackets 52. The top of deector 51 is slightly lower than deector VVdeflectorl 51 into the passage Vfrom' the upper margin Vof, deiiector' 55 then between covers 3'5 Y These paths are shown by the dashed arrows in FIGS, `1

' of water into the outlet gusts of wind from .the sidewalls 15 or V49 and its lower end is in substantially the same plane as the bottom of deliector 49. Detlector 51 is positioned between ports 50 andthe inlet of air passage .13 so that air passing through ports 50 and beneath dellector 49 must pass either beneath deector 51`or over the deector 51 and beneath cover'35 before it can enter the air passage. Deflectors 49 and 51 are both-substantially coaxial with ue '11 and collar 29.

The solidfarrows in FIGS.A 1 and 3 show the paths available for primary air through the assembly between the atmosphere and the passage 13. One path is beneath the lower edge.` of rim portion 39 of cover 35, then above Ithe deector 49 'and above de-ector 51 into Ythe inlet end of passage13. A'second path is beneath Vderector 49, then above deector 5=1 and into passage 13. A third path is through the ports 50 and then above 13. A fourth path is beneath deector 49 (or through holes 50), beneathdeair inlet passage 13 or the flector 511 and then over the end of collar 29 and into Y In each instance the air mustV traverse a the air inlet portion of assembly 13.- This substantially prepassage 13. Y tortuous path through 1 before entering passage vents gusts of air sweeping across roof 3 from directly entering the air inlet pasage and thus upsetting the natural drawv or pull of furnace 5 for primary air. Thedeectors and cover arranged as shown also act as a splash guard .and prevent ingress of `rain water, snow, etc., into Y the furnace'through t-he air inlet assembly.

The outer end of ue 11 projects above cover 35 and is surrounded Vby another ltubular deflector 55. D eflectorWSS is substantially coaxial with flue 111 Vand is the same diameter as deilectorSl. Deector 55 is supported above and spaced from the center portion 37 of cover 35 by brackets 57 attached tothe deector and the cover. The outlet of ilue 11 is in radial alignment with an intermediate portion of deectorSS.

A flue'cover 59 has a circular center portion 61 and an annular rim portion 61 and an annular rim portion 63 rdependingY from the periphery of center portion` 61.

Cover 59 is mounted yabovecover 3S by braces 65 attached to .the rim portions of both covers'. Deector 55 Y is located between the lower margin of the'V rim portion 63 of cover 59 and the outer end ofue 1'1 so that Y of this primary air by combustion products passing throughv productsv of combustion from furnace 5 dischargedY through flue the* assembly. Center portion-61 of cover 59 spaced so that the ilue gases may pass either above or beneath deflector 55 and and159 to the atmosphere.

assembly. Fiue 11 receives andvaccommodates furnace' ilue 9. Col1ar.29 receives duct 31 -forcommunicating primaryv air inlet passage 13 with the furnace 5.

VAssuming the furnace 5 is operating and that combustion is taking place in chamber 7, primary air is .drawn i into the inletsV 2'1 of the combustion chamber, thereby Ypulling primary air through the assembly t1.. As the air passesV through assembly 1 it must pass -beneath cover the outer end of collar 29 Yto enterV the passage 13; It is then drawnthrough the furnace 5 back wall 17 of the furnace.

The furnace combustion products are discharged from chamber 7 into flue 9 and then through flue 11 of assembly'l. The combustion products then pass either above or below deector 55 and between covers 59 and 35 to the atmosphere; Rim 39 ofcover'35 provides a distinct sepa- 11 traverse a tortuous path as theyescape f between inner wall 21 and Y tion,

V35 and pass above, 'below or through deflector 49, and then E above or below deector 51, Vand finally over conta-ined large portions of 'exhaust gases previously discharged through flue 11. Y

'The adverse effects of gusts of wind entering either the ue 11 are avoided by the arrangement of the covers and deectors positioned beneath them. Thus the flow of primary air into the furnace is governed almost entirely by thecombustion chamberre.-

quirements `and is substantially free of gusts or surges of air. Since the primary air surrounds flues 9 heat of the exhaust gases. Moreover, rainwater droplets, snow, etc. are excluded Yfrom both the air inlet and flue of the assembly, thereby preventing water damage to theV furnace.

Due to the elimination of the adverse eects of air variations caused by climatic conditions (as opposed to fur-Vv nace requirements) the vent structure of the invention is suitable for use on mobile homes and travel trailers where the primary air mustbe pulleda greaterV than normal distance into the furnace and where this movement mary air is the primary airV tends to flow Vby convection due to heating flues 9 and 11). Vents mounted on the Walls .of mobile homes do not require any substantial counterow of air and the air is usually pulled a much'shorter distance than Y for roof mounted vents. Moreover, in wall mounted vents y there areV no special difficulties in excluding rain, etc.

Thus the wall mounted y-vent and a-irinlet assemblies do not have to overcome the particular problems roof mounted vents encounter.V For this reason wall mounted vents are not suitable for roof mounting. The yent Vand air inlet assembly of the invention, on'rthe other hand, may be mounted on a wall of astructure as well as on-the roof.

In view of structions without departing from the scope ofthe invenit is intended that all matter contained in the above Y description or shown in the accompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative Vand not inv alimiting sense.Y l

What is claimed is:

l' 1. A vent and air inletl assembly for a sealed combustion chamber gas furnace, the assembly` being mountable.

onY the exterior of astruc'ture` containing Vthe furnacer'andV comprising an elongate iue for exhausting combustion products from the furnaceV combustion chamber to the atmosphere, an elongate deningrwith the `iiue a passage furnace combustionl chamber with conduitV comprising the inlet of its periphery,

inlet of the passage whereby atmospheric air traversesV a tortuous path beneath the cover andaround they defiector before entering the air passage, a second tubular.

deflector supported above .the cover and surrounding the',-

and 11 and is .Y cooler than the exhaust gasesit insulates roof 3 from the Y of pri- .Y countepflow (i.e., opposite to the direction the above, it will be seen that the several/Vv objects of theinventionz are achieved and other advantageous results attained. Y 1

As va-rious changes couldbe Ymade -in the above 'con-f conduit surrounding and spaced s from the ue, the conduit being coaxial with Vthe fiueand s for `primary air fortheYV the.V outerV end of the.1 the passage,"thc outer end",v of the flue projecting beyondpthe outer end VofV the` con-' V duit, an air passage cover'engaging thefperiphery. of the. Y, Y 4lue and overlying but spaced'frornV the'outerfendjoffthe conduit, the coverV having an annular rimY depending from" j a lfirst tubular deector surroundingrthe inlet- Y z endV of the passage and positioned between the inlet end s of the passage and the rim of the cover, the coverrim being coaxialwith and spaced frorri'theY conduit, meansV .Y supporting the deflector'in spaced relation to the exterior outlet end of the ue, a second cover overlying and spaced from the outer end of the ue, the second deector being spaced from the iiue and both covers, the iirst deector including a series of ports, the deflector ports being substantially in radial alignment with the inlet end of the passage, and a th-ird tubular detiector located between and spaced from the first tubula-r deiiector and the conduit.

2. A vent and air inlet assembly for a sealed combustion chamber gas furnace, the assembly being mountable on the exterior of a structure containing the furnace and comprising an elongate line for exhausting combustion products from the furnace combustion chamber to the atmosphere, an elongate conduit surrounding and spaced from the liue, the conduit being coaxial with the flue and deining with the iiue a passage for primary air for the furnace combustion chamber with the outer end of the conduit comprising the inlet of the passage, the outer end of the ue projecting beyond the outer end of the conduit, an air passage cover engaging the periphery of the flue and overlying but spaced from the outer end of the conduit, the cover having an annular rim depending from its periphery, a rst tubular deliector surrounding the inlet end of the passage and positioned between the inlet end of the passage and the rim of the cover, the cover rim being coaxial with and spaced from the conduit, means supporting the deiiector in spaced relation to the exterior of the stmcture and the cover whereby atmospheric air traverses a tortuous path beneath the cover and around the deector before entering the air passage, a second tubular deliector supported above the cover and surrounding the outlet end of the 'ue, a second cover overlying and spaced from the outer end of the liue, the second deiiector being spaced from the ilue and both covers, the first deector including a series of ports, the deliector ports being substantially in radial alignment with the inlet end of the passage, and a third tubuliar deliector located between and spaced from the lirst tubular deflector and the conduit, the third deflector being spaced from the first cover and axially positioned between the ports in the iirst deector and the inlet end of the passage whereby air entering the ports is deliected by the third deiiector before it enters the passage.

3. A vent and air inlet assembly as set forth in claim 2 further including a mounting liange surrounding the conduit for mounting the assembly on the exterior of the structure, the lower end of the third de'ector being spaced from the flange throughout the circumference of the deflector whereby air passing around the lirst deflector or through its ports must pass either between the third deector and the first cover or beneath the third deflector before entering the passage.

4. A vent and air inlet assembly for a sealed combustion chamber gas furnace, the assembly being mountable on the roof of the structure containing the furnace and comprising a tubular liue adapted to communicate through its lower inlet end with the exhaust of the furnace coinbustion chamber and pass products of combustion through its outer outlet end to the atmosphere, a tubular conduit surrounding the lower portion of the flue and defining with the ue an annular air passage for primary air, the lower end of the air passage constituting its outlet end and adapted to communicate with the furnace combustion chamber air inlet, the upper end of the conduit constituting the air passage inlet end and communicating with the atmosphere through the assembly, the outer end 'of the flue projecting beyond the outer end of the conduit, an air passage cover in sealing engagement with the pe riphery of the flue above the inlet end ofthe air passage, the cover having an annular inner portion extending radially outwardly from the ue and an axially extending annular rim portion at its periphery, .a tubular de- Aliector surrounding the conduit and positioned between the lower margin of the rim portion of the cover and the inlet end of the air passage, the deflector being spaced from the cover and the roof of the structure and having an intermediate portion in radial ralignment with the inlet end of the air passage whereby atmospheric air traverses a tortuous path around the deiiector between the cover and roof before entering the air passage, a second cover supported above the lirst cover, the second cover having a circular center portion overlying the outlet end of the flue and having an annular rim depending from the periphery of its center portion, a second tubular deector positioned between the lower margin of the rim portion of the second cover land the outlet end of the iue, the second deector being spaced from the line and both covers whereby furnace combustion products discharged through the 4time traverse a tortuous path around the second deiiector in escaping the assembly, the second cover and second deiiector shielding the outlet end of the ilue from the entrance of droplets of water, and a third tubular defiector positioned between the inlet end of the air passage and the first deliector, the third deii'ector and the first cover defining a path for air passing through the assembly into the air passage.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,811,095 10/1957 Moran 98-62 2,818,060 1'2/1957 Field 98-62 X 3,064,638 11/1962 Bauer 98-46 X 3,082,758 v3/1963 Heiman 126-307 X 3,105,432 IG/ 1963 Chamberlain 98-62 FOREIGN PATENTS 396,595 8/1933 Great Britain.

v ROBERT A. OL'EARY, Primary Examiner.

M. A. ANTONAKAS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A VENT AND AIR INLET ASSEMBLY FOR A SEALED COMBUSTION CHAMBER GAS FURNACE, THE ASSEMBLY BEING MOUNTABLE ON THE EXTERIOR OF A STRUCTURE CONTAINING THE FURNACE AND COMPRISING AN ELONGATE FLUE FOR EXHAUSTING COMBUSTION PRODUCTS FROM THE FURNACE COMBUSTION CHAMBER TO THE ATMOSPHERE, AN ELONGATE CONDUIT SURROUNDING AND SPACED FROM THE FLUE, THE CONDUIT BEING COAXIAL WITH THE FLUE AND DEFINING WITH THE FLUE A PASSAGE FOR PRIMARY AIR FOR THE FURNACE COMBUSTION CHAMBER WITH THE OUTER END OF THE CONDUIT COMPRISING THE INLET OF THE PASSAGE, THE OUTER END OF THE FLUE PROJECTING BEYOND THE OUTER END OF THE CONDUIT, AN AIR PASSAGE COVER ENGAGING THE PERIPHERY OF THE FLUE AND OVERLYING BUT SPACED FROM THE OUTER END OF THE CONDUIT, THE COVER HAVING AN ANNULAR RIM DEPENDING FROM ITS PERIPHERY, A FIRST TUBULAR DEFLECTOR SURROUNDING THE INLET END OF THE PASSAGE AND POSITIONED BETWEEN THE INLET END OF THE PASSAGE AND THE RIM OF THE COVER, THE COVER RIM BEING COAXIAL WITH AND SPACED FROM THE CONDUIT, MEANS SUPPORTING THE DEFLECTOR IN SPACED RELATION TO THE EXTERIOR OF THE STRUCTURE AND THE COVER WITH AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF THE DEFLECTOR BEING IN RADIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE INLET OF THE PASSAGE WHEREBY ATMOSPHERIC AIR TRAVERSES A TORTUOUS PATH BENEATH THE COVER AND AROUND THE DEFLECTOR BEFORE ENTERING THE AIR PASSAGE, A SECOND TUBULAR DEFLECTOR SUPPORTED ABOVE THE COVER AND SURROUNDING THE OUTLET END OF THE FLUE, A SECOND COVER OVERLYING AND SPACED FROM THE OUTER END OF THE FLUE, THE SECOND DEFLECTOR BEING SPACED FROM THE FLUE AND BOTH COVERS, THE FIRST DEFLECTOR INCLUDING A SERIES OF PORTS, THE DEFLECTOR PORTS BEING SUBSTANTIALLY IN RADIAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE INLET END OF THE PASSAGE, AND A THIRD TUBULAR DEFLECTOR LOCATED BETWEEN AND SPACED FROM THE FIRST TUBULAR DEFLECTOR AND THE CONDUIT. 